Zeus Among Us
by wolfgal13245
Summary: All Human, Dimitri is Rose's Mythology professor at University. What happens when they hit it off? What happens when they can't stay apart? Rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

I ran into the classroom, knowing I was almost late, but the building was a maze of half floors and half stairwells. There was no professor in front of the class and I sighed in relief. The first day of class was always a toss-up, some profs were mean, some were nice, some were bitchy if you were late and others were late themselves. The first day set the tone for the class though, and being late was one of the easiest ways to 15 weeks of hell.

I edged behind the chairs into the only open seat in the front row. I had learned early that sitting in the front row forced me to pay attention, which allowed me to do less work outside of class. I set my bag on the ground and pulled out the notebook I had designated for Classical Mythology. It was a personal passion and I was really excited to study it, although I doubted we'd learn much more in this class than I already knew. This was an intro-level blow-off class and I'd studied mythology quite a bit on my own. Hopefully, though, it would still be some fun credits.

"What kind of building has stairwells that don't go to every floor?" I muttered to the tall boy—no, man—sitting next to me. At least there was one other upperclassman in this class. The people behind him were going to love staring at the back of his head.

"I think it's supposed to be an artistic layout," he replied, smiling, the barest hint of a Russian accent.

"Artistic or not, I was nearly late," I said bitterly, glaring at the analog clock in front of the room.

"You made it in time, we still have one more minute," he glanced at his watch, just to be sure.

"Rose," I said, and held out my hand to him, the reach across my body slightly awkward in the cramped space behind the table.

"Dimitri," He smirked and grasped my hand, his long arm folded awkwardly next to his body in order to do it. "But don't tell anyone else, I prefer to go by my last name, Belikov."

I smiled at him. If lesson number one was to sit in the front, lesson two was to make a friend. If I missed class, I needed a way to get the notes. "So which should I call you?"

"Whichever you prefer," he said as he stood up and winked.

I frowned, unsure why he was running away when we seemed to be getting along, too late I remembered the professor for this course. Belikov, D. I nearly groaned aloud, I had just gotten friendly with the professor. FLIRTED with the professor. I was so screwed, but at least the man was attractive.

"Welcome," he said to the class, and I noticed we started exactly on time by the clock. The room fell mostly quiet and some people paid attention. As usual there were the continued clicks of a mouse and the typing of keys as people played games and chatted online with friends. "I'm Professor Belikov. Much like in classical mythology, my TAs are scattered among you, the gods among the mortals," he grinned and caught my eye as the typing ceased and several people laughed. "Hopefully they will get to know you, and help answer your questions as friends. They will also tell me who's playing games during my class. I don't take attendance, but if you're here, you better be paying attention." There was a brief flurry of whispers before everyone remembered the TAs among us.

"Don't be scared, The TA's will be much like the gods in Greek or Roman mythology. They will have their favorites, as you will have your favorites, and you will ask for help and receive it in turn. I will also have office hours like a normal course. All other aspects of this course will be the same as any other at this school. If you perform well, your grade will reflect that, regardless of how my TAs feel about you personally. Mortals can succeed without the gods." He said it teasingly and the class answered with laughter.

"There are Syllabi next to the door that you should pick up on your way out, if you didn't yet take one. Now, I'm not going to make you all introduce yourself, I'm sure you've had enough of that and there are too many of you, unless you want to be here until next class." There were scattered giggles again. Despite announcing there were spies in our midst, the class liked him. "There's also a large family tree of the major and minor gods on the course website or copies outside my office. Pick it up or print it out and bring it to the next class. You can try to fill it out on your own but we'll go over it next time so that we're all working off the same background. You'll learn in the advanced classes that some of what I'll teach is disputed, but we're just doing the basics." He smiled and a few people laughed along with him. I smiled too, but raised an eyebrow at him. It was a skill I cherished, having practiced many nights in front of a mirror to get it right. My sarcastic personality needed the physical counterpoint.

Belikov knew he was attractive and charismatic and he was using it to win over the class, despite his ploy of keeping the TAs a secret. It was smart, drop the grenade first, spend the rest of the first class winning us back, and then let us go early to keep us happy. He saw my expression and grinned. "Ok, you're all free to go, don't forget to get a syllabus and bring the family tree to the next class!" He yelled the last bit as the class swarmed out of the large hall. I figured a third of them would never come to another class, but the two thirds that returned would be focused.

I slid my notebook back into my backpack and swung it up onto my shoulder. It was easier to walk around the front of the table than edge behind the chairs, so that's what I did. The path took me past where Dimitri—Belikov—was still standing. "What did you think?" he asked.

"Smart," I said, "You told us about the wolves in sheep's clothing at the beginning. Well, the beginning of class," He smirked, getting my meaning. "Then you managed to win over the entire room, spinning it like we're some heroes in the Illiad or Aeneid that may gain the favor of the gods."

He grinned. "You like classical mythology." It was a statement, not a question.

"Guilty pleasure," I agreed. I noticed his Russian accent was back, it had disappeared when he spoke to the class. I wondered if it was over the line to ask him about it. "Why do you have an accent?"

"Because I'm Russian," he laughed.

"Why didn't you have an accent when you spoke to the class?"

"Because a young professor with an accent is an incompetent professor."

I looked him over again, and knew it was even more than that. He was young and attractive, though he didn't dress to show off in slacks and a button-down shirt done up to his throat, only the top button open. Maybe 28 years old, tall, with long, dark hair and dark eyes and defined muscles, he didn't look like a typical professor. With an accent he would become a conquest, a foreign man to be easily influenced. He would have girls flirting for higher grades, threatening him with scandal, claiming they'd been with him. I'd seen it happen before with TAs, but a TA could withstand a hint of scandal, especially with a powerful professor to guard them. A young professor without tenure couldn't.

It took me half a second to figure out where things stood and my eyes widened with realization. "That's why you hid your TAs. You're keeping your students in line."

He smiled mysteriously but I knew I was right. I wondered how he learned that lesson. The hall had cleared and we made our way up the rows to the door at the back of the class. He picked up the stack of papers and handed one to me. "You never picked up a syllabus," he said.

"Are you keeping tabs on me, Dimitri?"

"I know you didn't have one when you sat down, and we just now came back to them."

"That's not an answer," I told him but he only grinned. "I hope you don't mind but I'm going to follow you out. The way I got to this room wasn't exactly efficient."

He smiled and indicated I should leave the room before him. "So why is mythology a guilty pleasure?" he asked and I blushed at the words. His accent turned the flip statement into a flirtatious comment.

"An FBI agent doesn't need to know mythology," I said, sheepishly. "It's just something I've always been interested in."

"An FBI agent?" he asked and I could feel him looking me over. I had dressed nicely for the first day of class, jeans, a loose, long sleeved peasant top, and low heeled boots I could walk around campus in comfortably. I knew I looked thin, probably small to him even though I stood 5'9 in my heels. I was used to that reaction.

"I've already submitted my application. I have a conditional acceptance if I pass all my background checks and graduate on time."

He stopped in surprise, blinking in the sunlight. "You really know what you want to do,"

I smiled. "It will take another year for all the paperwork to be done, but that will be just in time for graduation. I've always known what I want to do and I've gone after it. This is the first class I've taken that doesn't correspond to my degrees."

"So my class really is a guilty pleasure." He smiled at me. "You must really like mythology."

"I love it. Although I don't think your class will teach me much I don't know."

"You never know," His Russian accent made the statement even more mysterious. "You should probably come grab a copy of that family tree while you're here," he said and I looked up. We were standing outside the building that must house his office.

"Isn't this the languages building?" I asked, puzzled, as I walked inside the door he held open for me. "Thank you."

"Apparently the classics department isn't big enough for their own building, and a lot of us teach languages too, Greek, Latin, Hebrew,"

"Russian?" I teased.

"Russkiy" he agreed. His accent made it sound musical.

I cocked my head, wanting to hear him say more, "What's the Russian word for rose?"

"The flower? Rouz. But your name would be Roza." His voice was a caress and I liked the way my name rolled off his tongue.

"Roza," I repeated, trying to copy his accent, but it was just a word from my lips.

"Roza," he confirmed.

"I like the way you say it better," I informed him, then wanted to smack myself. No flirting with the professor, dammit.

He smiled cheekily, "The speaking the language helps. This is my office, Roza. Here are the papers you'll need." He pulled a stack of papers from the files beside the door, there looked to be about ten pages.

"Are there this many gods and goddesses, Dimitri?" I asked, flipping through the papers.

"Maybe you'll learn something after all, Roza. I'll see you on Wednesday."

"See you in class, Dimitri,"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone, thanks so much for all of your wonderful reviews! Here's the new chapter, I'll update as frequently as I can. Thanks to **_**Russiangirl**_** for pointing out that Rose the flower is also "Roza." Listen to your high school Spanish teacher, my friends, they were right, google translator lies! I beg your forgiveness and I'll do a better job checking the translation if I have to put anything else in Russian. Typical disclaimer, I own nothing in Richelle Mead's universe. Enjoy!**

"Oh my God!" I shouted as I closed the door to our apartment and pulled off my boots. "You are not going to believe this!" I threw my socks into the laundry bin in the wash closet and padded barefoot to my room where I dropped my backpack. "Lissa! Are you here? LISSA!"

There was no answer so I walked down to her room, knowing if she weren't here there'd be a note on her door. Sure enough there was a note in pink marker on the whiteboard. _How many times did you call me before you realized I wasn't here? Class til 3 then I'll get to hear what you've done XOXO_

"Stupid new class schedule," I muttered. The start of a semester was always tough to get our schedules straight. I looked at my watch. 2pm on a Monday and I had nothing else to do. "Bless syllabus week," I said as I went to the fridge and pulled out a beer. I sipped it as I walked back to my room and stripped. I quickly changed into a small black bikini, grabbed my cell phone and my beer and walked out to our balcony. Our apartment faced west and I had about an hour's worth of good sun left in the day. I set an alarm on my phone so I'd know when to flip over and then turned on some music, laying down on one of the lounges we kept outside.

I screeched when the cold bottle pressed into my inner thigh. "Lissa!" My fair-haired roommate was dying of laughter on the other lounge, dressed elegantly in shorts and a flowing top. Her sandaled feet kicked at the seat as she laughed. I huffed at her and opened the beer, tossing the bottle cap in her direction. Her laughs settled to giggles and she took a sip of her own drink. A rum and soda I guessed, those tended to be her favorite for warm days.

"To syllabus week," she said, and raised her glass.

"To syllabus week," I echoed and clinked my bottle to her glass. I settled cross-legged on the lounge and took a long drink. "So how were your classes?"

"Boring. Had to do the 'stand up and introduce yourself' thing twice and one professor actually started teaching today." She made a face.

"Yuck. Do they know nothing of how Syllabus week works?"

"Apparently not. Curse of the upperclassmen, I suppose."

I giggled. "Figures, we're finally 21 and they try to make us work!"

She giggled too and took another drink. "How was your day?"

"Oh my god it was horrific and terrible and amazing!"

She laughed, "Wow that seems like a pretty crazy day, tell me about it."

"Well, first couple classes were boring, they actually read through the entire syllabus with us, but my last one was… Insane. It's taught by this young Russian prof, he definitely has a chili pepper next to his name on the online ratings, and he didn't tell us who his TAs are! He told us they'd just sit in class and be friends with us and give us help like friends. He said it was like having the gods among the mortals, you know, like when the ancient Greek gods would come to earth in disguise?"

"I don't see how this reaches horrific and terrible and amazing," Lissa giggled. "Although that's kinda scary, what if you don't get along with a TA?"

"He said that it doesn't matter, that only our grades do. The syllabus says he grades everything himself as well as a TA so we won't be affected if one doesn't like us."

"But you won't know who they are? All class?"

"Apparently not. But that's not the worst part! When I sat down, I started talking to him, flirting with him for goodness' sake, because he was in a chair like a student!

Lissa gasped, her eyes going wide. "You didn't!"

I groaned, remembering my embarrassment when I realized I'd been flirting with the professor. "Oh, I did. Although it wasn't as bad as it could've been."

"Why's that?"

I hesitated; suddenly I didn't want to tell her about his reaction, about our walk back to his office, about the sad and pathetic fact that I longed to see him again already. I was Rose Hathaway, professional hardass, well, hardass in training, and I didn't want to be the pathetic school girl with a crush on her professor. "I think he just thought I was funny. He wasn't mean about it or anything."

"That's good, I suppose… Oh Rose, are you gonna be ok in that class for the rest of the semester?"

I smiled sheepishly, honestly I couldn't wait to go back and see him again. "I think it will be all right. Like I said, he wasn't mean about it."

"Well that's good at least, I know you were excited for that class." Lissa rose, "I have some work I need to get done, but I'm glad you had a good day!"

"Thanks Liss, have fun with the work." Lissa laughed and wandered back inside.

I sat and sipped my beer, wondering why I didn't tell her about Dimitri. Lissa was my best friend, I told her everything. I tried to sort out my reasons but they were complicated. It was both too important and not important enough. I couldn't tell her about my stupid little crush on my professor, but at the same time, I could feel this wasn't just some little crush; this could be something real, something big. We had some kind of connection and it was too fragile to tell anyone else about yet. I groaned in disgust, I wasn't typically big on introspection, and I was getting gushy to boot. I drained my beer and walked back inside; counting up just how many hours I'd have to wait before I got to see Dimitri again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! Don't get used to this, you all are getting spoiled for the moment, but here's the next chapter. This story is really pushing at me to be written and I love working on it. I know things are moving slowly between these two, but we'll get there. Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Richelle Mead Universe. Enjoy!**

It was almost time for my mythology class and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, sending adrenaline coursing through my veins. I couldn't wait to see Dimitri again, hopefully get the chance to speak to him, walk with him as I did last class. I had taken nearly an hour to get dressed for my classes this morning. I was afraid to dress too nicely and have him think I was dressing to impress him, but I didn't want to look sloppy either, and I definitely didn't want to dress sexy, because I didn't want Dimitri to think I was coming onto him. Which I actually would do if I got the chance; but he didn't need to know that and I didn't need to advertise it.

I settled on my typical warm weather garb, a black beater and denim shorts with black ballerina flats. I was so nervous already, I didn't need to add being in uncomfortable clothes to my issues of the day. I was still a little uneasy about my wardrobe choices, I could see guys looking at me as I walked across campus, looking at my chest and legs and I worried that I was wearing clothes that were still too revealing. I wasn't going to change how I dressed though and if he liked it, I wasn't complaining.

I walked into the classroom, actually a couple minutes early this time since I knew where I was going. I was pleased to see my seat was vacant and even more excited when I saw Dimitri sitting in the same seat as last class. I walked down the aisle and around the front of the table, saying hello to Dimitri and edging behind his chair to my seat.

He smiled warmly at me as I sat down. "Are you enjoying the semester so far, Roza?"

I felt my blood surge with the nickname, I wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking, but his voice seemed to deepen a little when he said it, like he was caressing the word. "Yeah, my classes seem like they're going to be pretty interesting. What about you? Do you teach other classes?"

"I have one other advanced mythology class this semester and I am co-teaching an intro to Russian class. Although I imagine the beginning of my semester has been much the same as yours."

"Introductions and Alcohol?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.

"Sadly, no. Just the introductions. Professors can't show up to class hungover and my other two classes meet early. I do miss the freedom of being a student during the first week." He smiled at me, amusement glinting in his eyes. He had some good stories, I could tell, and I wanted to ask him about them.

"I guess that means you have to make up time on the weekend?"

"Sometimes," He trailed off mysteriously and winked. I wanted to ask him more but he stood up and walked to the front of the class. "Welcome back, I see some of you have decided to keep attending, despite the nice weather." I looked behind me and saw nearly two thirds of the class had returned. That would probably dwindle as the semester continued, but it was a good showing for the second day.

"If you'd all take out the family tree I asked you to bring, we'll begin." I took out the pile of papers he'd handed me on Monday and glanced over them. We'd be covering some pretty in depth information.

"Ok, First page, at the top is Chaos. Chaos' daughter is Gaia, Mother Earth. The diagonal is Uranus, the Sky. For our purposes Uranus was born of Gaia alone, although that story differs among scholars. Uranus and Gaia were husband and wife as well as mother and son." There were scattered noises of disgust from the class. "You can't think of this as incest, rather that this was the union of Earth and Sky, which produced the oceans, the wind, and all the other forces on our world. Remember, this is the creation myth. Every night Uranus would cover Gaia and would lay with her, and he hated the offspring their union produced. They produced six daughters and six sons, along with the Cyclops, the hundred-handed ones, and the Giants. Those are listed along the side of the paper; we'll come back to them later. He pushed a remote control button and the paper we were filling out appeared on the screen at the front of the room, filled out as far as we'd gotten. I copied down the order the way he described it, enjoying the class, even though it was just the basics. Dimitri had a strong presence and somehow he made even the basics seem interesting.

He continued through the titans, covering what each titan ruled over and hinting at their stories. "Prometheus is the next space; many of you may know him as the titan that stole fire for mankind. He was punished most severely for the theft, but we'll discuss him another day." Dimitri glanced at his watch, noticing the restlessness of the class. "All right, that's all for today. Have a good weekend and I'll see you back in class on Monday."

I packed the papers away, a little slower than usual, lingering for the chance to talk to Dimitri some more. "Did my class keep you interested?" he asked and I started. I hadn't realized he'd moved up to the table.

"Jeez you move quietly!"

He chuckled, "Did you enjoy my class?"

"I actually did, even though I already knew what was covered. You make even the basics interesting." I smiled at him, flattered that he would ask my opinion.

"Thank you, Roza, that's very kind. You'd tell me if I bored you, right?"

"I don't know, I guess we'll see if you ever do bore me. I don't think that's very likely though."

His eyes held my gaze and I felt my body tingle. "I hope not," he murmured.

I felt myself blush, very out of character, and I looked down in embarrassment. I covered my discomfort by standing and swinging my backpack onto my shoulder. "I can tell you really love this stuff, how'd you get interested in mythology?"

Dimitri fell into step beside me as we walked out of the room. "My grandmother used to tell me stories of mythology when I was little. I grew up knowing these stories the way most kids know Hansel and Gretel or Snow White. When I discovered I could study Mythology and share it with others, I knew that was what I wanted to do. How did you become interested?"

I smiled; I was guessing he gave me the reader's digest version of the story, but now wasn't the time to grill him on his motivations. "I don't really remember. Mythology is something I've always liked, the stories of heroes interacting personally with the gods, slaying mythical beasts, using magical tools, I was fascinated. It all seemed so… Fantastic."

"Mythology is pretty fantastic. Which stories were your favorites?"

"I like the stories of the gods creating mischief. Whether for humans or each other, I like the idea that a god with cosmic powers will use them to play jokes and get revenge."

"I'd bet you're quite the prankster yourself, Roza," Dimitri grinned at me and I laughed, remembering last year's April Fool's Day.

"You better believe it. If I could have powers like a god, no one would be safe."

"What has been your best prank?"

I giggled, still proud of it. "Last year I saran-wrapped my roommate into her bed, and then saran wrapped her doorway. When she finally got loose from her bed, she was so upset she tried to run to my room but she slammed face first into the saran wrap! I have it all on tape too!" I was laughing so hard by the time I finished the story, remembering the way she had bounced off of the clear barrier and practically fallen on her butt. "She was so mad," I choked out, "but she was laughing so hard she couldn't even yell at me."

Dimitri was grinning too and I could feel his eyes roaming over my face, watching me laugh. "What about you? Which stories are your favorites?" I asked, when I'd calmed down enough to speak.

"I like the ones about the heroes, the epic battles of brains and brawn."

"That makes sense," I said, looking him over.

"Why's that?"

I blushed again, realizing I was flirting and my response would probably cross a line. Oh well, he asked and I wasn't into censoring what I said. "Because you're super smart but also really fit; you're probably some Russian demi-god or something."

Dimitri laughed, a real laugh, not just a chuckle, and I was pleased I caused it. "I'm just a professor, no deities in my background."

"So you say," I teased, and we halted; we had reached the language building.

Dimitri smiled, but something had changed in it, he was guarded again. "Have a good weekend, Rose. I'll see you in class."

I smiled too, trying not to show that it hurt to have him shut down on me, or to have him use my English name. "Later, Dimitri."


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are seriously so sweet! Your reviews are amazing. I've been trying to post this chapter for a while but the website was having issues. Bright side is, I have the next chapter almost done so it should be up in the next day or so! As always, I don't own anything from Richelle Mead's universe. Here's the next chapter, and keep the reviews coming! I hope you like it!**

I flopped down on my bed and groaned. The entire walk back to my apartment, all I could think about was the way Dimitri had shut down on me. I was irritated because he shouldn't be able to affect me like this. Hell, he shouldn't be able to affect me at all; I'd only met him two days ago. And yet, it was nearly ten minutes later and all I could think about was the way he'd said my name in English, without that caressing tone. I groaned again, hitting my head on the mattress for good measure.

"Are you dying in there?" Lissa's voice floated in from the hallway. I groaned a third time. I forgot that I'd be home after her since we'd had full length classes today.

"Yes," I whined toward her. "I'm hungry but I'm too tired to make food." I still couldn't tell her. She'd tell me it was wrong to have a crush on my professor, and that trying to pursue it was twice as bad. I sat bolt upright. That's why Dimitri shut down on me. He remembered I was his student when he told me he was just a professor. At least it wasn't my demi-god comment. Feeling marginally better, I eased off my bed. "What did you say?" I called, padding down to Lissa's room. She had made some comment that I hadn't heard over the shock of my revelation.

"I said that we have microwave meals in the freezer that won't take a lot of effort for you to cook." Lissa was sitting at her desk, blonde hair pulled up into a clip at the back of her head, looking studious and elegant, as usual.

"Thanks," I smiled at her. "Do you want anything? You look like you're hard at work already."

"No thanks, Rose. This English class I'm in is going to be a ton of work. It's a writing course so I have a paper due every Friday!" Lissa pulled a face but I laughed.

"Didn't I warn you about that creative writing course?"

"Yes, yes, I know, you told me so. Ugh." She threw a stray pen from her desk at me but I dodged it. Actually, I probably didn't need to move, it was such a poor throw, but it made her feel better to see me dodge.

"You should know better than to ignore the wisdom of Rose Hathaway," I told her gravely before my eyes widened in panic. She was hefting her large biology book this time, and I didn't want to risk that it would be on target. I sprinted for the kitchen yelling "Have to make some food now!"

"Yeah you better run," I heard her call back.

I moved to the freezer, chuckling, and pulled out a frozen meal. It wasn't a lot of food but it would do until dinner. I put it in the microwave and set the timer, pacing restlessly while it spun. When it beeped I quickly pulled out the meal and started eating, I really was starving. "Liss," I called around a mouthful of pasta, "I'm going to go for a run tonight."

"Ok, I'll be here, writing this thing."

I smiled. That was probably part of my problem; I hadn't worked out in a couple days because of my new class schedule. I always used to go to the gym around 1pm last semester, when it was fairly empty, but that wasn't going to work with my classes this semester. I knew a lot of people got up early to work out, but I'd never managed to get the hang of that. Or anything, really, that required me to give up sleep in the morning. I'd go for a nice run tonight, actually outside if it wasn't too hot. Then I'd hit the gym tomorrow and work off some of my frustration. Surely some physical exercise would help put things in perspective.

I was right; the five mile run did wonders for my mood. As I rinsed off in the shower afterward, I realized just having the chance to think about things without distraction had really helped me process, especially since I couldn't tell Lissa. I felt more in control, like I could talk to Dimitri without flirting. I still wanted to talk to him, still felt like I needed to get to know him, but now I could keep my flirting under control. Or so I believed.

I wrapped my hair up in a towel and changed from my robe into a cami and shorts. I still had a little bit of work to do for my classes tomorrow, but I wasn't really in the mood. It was just reading the introduction to a book, something I could easily do in the morning. Instead, I opened up my Netflix account and started browsing through the available titles. Normally I liked the police procedurals and horror movies, but I wanted to watch something different tonight. I ended up choosing Pirates of the Caribbean. It was one of my favorites, and I was really in the mood to see someone get the guy. I took my hair out of the towel and shook it out, settling back to watch the movie while my hair dried.

It was nearly midnight when the movie ended and I was pleasantly tired. I stripped and crawled into bed, wishing I could go to the Caribbean and relax on the beach. I wondered what Dimitri would look like in a bathing suit; he was tanned and definitely muscular. I gave into my wishful thinking and imagined him with defined, rippling muscles and a six pack. Maybe even that V that guys with muscular hips had. I sighed and slammed my head into the pillow. "Dammit, Rose, now you're going to be twice as frustrated. Stop thinking about him."

Easier said than done, though, and I dreamed of him. I dreamed we were on a quest for the gods, that we had to find a magic rum bottle and that the gods were wagering on whether we'd succumb to each other before we managed to find it. Of course, that meant we were put in some situations that oozed sexual tension, and just when he finally moved in to kiss me, my alarm rang. "GOD DAMMIT," I roared, smashing my fist onto the clock. I heard something crack and the ringing blessedly stopped. Thankfully, Lissa was a heavy sleeper so I wouldn't have awoken her, but I was pissed. Too pissed to get back to sleep and try to finish the dream.

Instead I got up and peered at my alarm clock. It looked like I had merely cracked the plastic casing, and hadn't done any real damage, but I should probably avoid smashing it again. I grabbed the book whose introduction I was supposed to read and scanned it. Pretty basic stuff, I had actually read a similar book by the same author a year ago, and I didn't think the introduction was much different between the two. "Well that was easy," I muttered and tossed the book onto my bed, walking into the bathroom to start getting ready.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok guys, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it! I've received some interest about whether Rose has been with someone before Dimitri or whether she's a virgin. So I created a poll on my profile if you'd like to vote. I could see things happening either way and I'm open to what you guys would prefer. I'll most likely follow the results of the poll, but we still have a couple chapters before we get to any lemons. (I know, I know, it's taking forever. But I promise it won't take two and a half books! Even without Guardian training, these two would be stubborn and I have to be true to their character.) So, vote if you have a preference, otherwise just wait and see! As always I own nothing from Richelle Mead's universe. Enjoy!**

It was tough for me to pay attention in class, especially after the dream I'd had that morning. I was so frustrated that I wouldn't be able to see Dimitri until Monday. Several times I nearly went to his office to try and talk to him. I desperately needed a distraction, but my classes didn't end until 6pm and I knew the gym would be too crowded for an efficient workout. Instead I went home and made dinner, eating with Lissa and enjoying her company.

"How's your writing going?" I asked.

"It's going. It's hard to produce an acceptable story in such a small word count and timeframe. But I suppose that's the point, forcing us to improve by moving fast." She sighed, "It's going to be a lot of work though. I won't have much time to spend with Christian this semester."

I laughed, "The two of you always find time to spend together! When are you seeing him?"

"We're going out to dinner and a movie on Friday." She smiled, clearly excited.

"So I shouldn't expect you home until Saturday, right?"I teased.

"Nope, I'll be spending the night at Christian's." Christian didn't have a roommate, big surprise, so they spent their nights together at his place, out of respect for me. Well, and probably fear. They weren't sure what pranks I would pull on them after I handcuffed them together to Lissa's bed our freshman year.

"That will be fun! Know what movie you're going to see?"

"Nope, Christian's planning the whole thing, but I'm excited!" Lissa's face had that usual glow that she got when she spoke about Christian. I smiled too. I was incredibly happy that she found somebody that was so good for her.

"Guess that means I'll be out on my own on Friday," I laughed.

"Just be careful, Rose." She looked slightly worried and I loved her for it, she was the only person on the planet that worried about the wellbeing of Rosemarie Hathaway.

"Always am, Liss." We'd both cleaned our plates and I rinsed them in the sink and put them in the dishwasher. "I'm gonna head to the gym in a little bit," I told her.

"You work out too much," she laughed.

"I've got to, Liss, Quantico will be that much easier if I'm in good shape!"

"I know, I know, you just make me feel guilty because I never do anything athletic."

"Liss, you're not going to the FBI and you're healthy. You don't need to work out! Besides, I think you and Christian burn just as many calories as I do at the gym!"

"Rose!" Lissa shrieked. She always got touchy when I brought up their sex life.

"I'm just saying!" I laughed, enjoying the blush on her normally pale cheeks. "You guys have been dating for four years! You'd think you'd be over this embarrassment crap already!"

"That doesn't mean I want you to comment on our sex life!" I could tell Lissa was still embarrassed, but as usual she took my ribbing good-naturedly.

"All I was saying is that you don't need to work out the way I do." I grinned at her and went into my room, changing into a pair of Capri length yoga pants, a sports bra, and a tank top. I pulled on my arm-band phone holder and started my workout playlist. I stretched in my room, then grabbed my water bottle and headed to the door. "See you later, Lissa," I called and headed out the door. I jogged down the stairs and along the sidewalk, heading toward the nearest gym. It was a smaller, regional gym rather than the main campus one. At 8 p.m. it would be nearly empty and I'd be able to work out without waiting for the machines. I had a set routine and it started with a rowing machine. It was a good full-body workout, but there were only three of them at the gym. Hopefully one would be open.

I was pleased to see that all three machines were, in fact, vacant. I adjusted the height and resistance and sat down, sufficiently warmed up to begin working out. I stripped off my sweaty tank top so I was in my sports bra, set the clock, and began rowing, exhaling heavily as I pushed back with my legs and pulled the handle to my belly, feeling the strain across my entire body and reveling in it. I loved working out, loved the feel of my muscles flexing and pulling while the beat of the music pounded in my ears. I finally found the rhythm of the music and pulled with the beat, scanning the rest of the gym absently. My breath caught and I jerked, the machine recoiling against my slack muscles. _Dimitri was here_.

I could tell it was him, his long hair was pulled back in a pony-tail and he was dressed in a white beater and black draw-string shorts. He was using a machine, his back toward me, but it had to be him. I could see the muscles rippling across his back as he pulled. I finished my 10 minute row but I continued pulling on the machine as I pondered what I should do next. Dimitri had moved to another machine, biceps curls, and I was admiring the way his muscles bulged. He was also right next to the triceps machine, which was the first of my machine rotation.

I couldn't figure out what to do. Could I just walk over? Would he think I'm stalking him? But I couldn't just stop my routine; it was my routine for heaven's sake and I liked it. I let go of the rowing handle and sighed, taking a deep drink of water. I was nearly shaking from the adrenaline that pumped into my bloodstream when I saw him. I walked over and sat down at the triceps machine, putting the pin at the 60lbs marker. "How's it going, Comrade?" I asked, beginning my twenty reps.

"Hello, Roza," I beamed internally, pleased to hear the Russian caress again. "I thought that was you."

I slowly allowed my arms to lift; taking care that I controlled every move of the machine instead of allowing it to control me. "Have you been watching me, Dimitri?"

He paused in his set and looked me over, "It's a possibility."

I stared in awe as he lifted the weights again, his biceps bulging with the strain. "See anything you like?" I would've punched myself if I could've done it without looking like an idiot. _Dammit Rose, you know better than that!_

Dimitri didn't answer, not exactly, but he looked me over again, even slower this time. My breath caught and I froze; I could feel his burning gaze starting fires under my skin. His eyes met mine and he held my gaze for a moment, two, three. After an eternity, he smiled and looked away. I gasped in a breath, pushing down the weight bar to cover my breathlessness. He stood, still smiling, and turned back to me. "I need to finish my set, but would you like to get a smoothie when you're done?"

There was a small dining area at the front of the gym that sold all flavors of smoothie and would add supplements to them. "When I'm done, that would be great, if I won't take too much longer than you." I was afraid of seeming too eager, but I really wanted to sit and talk with him.

"No hurry, Roza," He walked off, and I shamelessly stared at his well sculpted butt. Damn, I was in real trouble.

We kept catching each others' eyes across the gym as we finished our sets, and I only had a few minutes left when he started his cool down stretches. As distracted as he made me, it felt good to be back in the gym and to be working out. I knew I'd be a little sore in the morning since I wasn't focused, but it was well worth the exchange of seeing him.

He walked off toward the smoothie counter and I finished my last 30 seconds on the rowing machine. I stretched quickly and pulled my tank top back on, not wanting to waste any time that I could be spending with Dimitri. I walked up to the dining area and saw Dimitri seated in a shadowy corner. I smiled at him, amazed that such a striking man could fade into the background. I paid for my peanut butter and banana smoothie and stuck a straw into it, taking a long sip. The cold drink was wonderful after my exertions, and it distracted me from the fact that I was going to sit with a tank-top clad Dimitri.

"So… Come here often?" I asked, sliding into the seat along the wall instead of the one that would put my back to the rest of the building.

He smiled at my joke and I puffed up a bit, pleased that he thought I was funny. "This is my first time at this particular gym. What about you, Roza?"

"I come here a lot, my apartment is just down the street and I like that this gym has less people than the main one on campus." I sipped more of my smoothie, accidentally making eye contact with Dimitri while I sucked on the straw. _Dammit, Rose. Stop it; you're going to scare him away!_ "Why did you come here?" I asked, hastily trying to cover the sexual tension. Even though his gaze was heated, I was afraid that I'd cross that thin line and he'd shut down on me again.

"This is the closest gym to my apartment, and it's free for me as a professor. I find that I like the company too." I smiled, pleased but a little guarded, just in case referencing being a professor closed him off.

"Is this your first year teaching?" _Small talk, Rose. Nice, non-sexual discussions, that's what you need to have. Use this time to find out about him, don't push the envelope._

"My first year as a full professor. I graduated with my PhD in the spring and was hired here on a probationary contract for a year."

That was why he hid the TAs, he couldn't afford a scandal while he was probationary. Probably why he kept shutting down on me, too. "Do you like it here?"

"I do. The department is excellent, and they have everything I need for my research and writing. I'd like to stay here if at all possible." He smiled and I could see that enthusiasm again, the love for his work.

"Where were you before?"

"I got my undergrad degrees in classics and Russian, in Montana, actually. Then I got my PhD from UNC. Then I came here."

"That's a lot of moving around! Across the country too! Do you ever miss those places?"

"Only Russia. The other places were comfortable, but never home."

"Is your family back there?" I could hear loneliness in his voice and I wondered how long he'd been on his own.

"My mother, grandmother, and sisters are still back in Russia, and I have a couple nieces and a nephew. I go back to see them as often as I can." He smiled and I could sense the love for his family. "What about you, Roza? Where's your family?"

I ducked my head; I never liked answering questions about my family and this was going to be awkward because he seemed close to his. "My mom is in private security and she travels a lot, all over the world. I don't really remember, but I was told that she raised me until I was about five. That was when I met my best friend, Lissa. Her parents basically adopted me until they died in a car crash along with her brother when she and I were 16. We were at a boarding high school and we just lived there until we graduated, and now we're here. We stay and take classes through the summer."

"I'm so sorry, Roza," he whispered. "That must have been difficult."

"I guess. Lissa and I had each other and we helped each other through it. She still has nightmares once in a while though." I murmured the last, unsure why I was confiding in him.

"Ah, so Lissa is the roommate you saran-wrapped to her bed?" He smiled and I was grateful for the change of subject.

"Yes." I grinned, "One of the many pranks she's put up with over the years."

"How did you meet her?"

I laughed, "It was during first grade, she and I were paired together for a spelling exercise. We were supposed to be writing out our names, and Lissa and I took offense."

"I suppose Rosemarie Hathaway is a fairly long name," Dimitri mused.

"Oh no, here's the kicker. Lissa's full name is Vasilissa Dragomir."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. We had to spell out both our names, and even though I liked Lissa, I would've rather been paired with Ann or Steven, you know?"

Dimitri smiled, knowing my character already. "You did something, didn't you?"

I grinned. "I took one of the books and threw it at the teacher. And I called her a fascist bastard."

"Did you hit her?" Dimitri was grinning, clearly imagining five-year-old Rose yelling at a teacher.

"Oh yeah. I knew how to hit a moving target, even then. Lissa and I were both given detention and we've been inseparable ever since." I smiled, remembering Lissa in her blonde pigtails, hair swinging as she whispered emphatically that it wasn't fair that we were paired together. I remembered saying the teacher had it out for us and then reaching for the book. I stood up and threw the book, calling the teacher a facist bastard, standing defiantly with my hands on my hips as she told me I was going to detention.

"Somehow I doubt that that was the last time you yelled at a teacher." He grinned, clearly enjoying my impetuousness.

"Not even close. Apparently I have 'issues with authority,' but I say I have issues with egotistical bastards."

"You don't have any problem speaking your mind, do you?"

"I've gotten better since high school. I discovered yoga when I came to college and that helps keep my temper under control, as well as working out and the general increased intelligence of the teachers."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Dimitri smiled warmly and sipped the last of his smoothie.

"As you should," I returned the smile and finished off my smoothie as well.

"Well, Roza, I have to go because I have a class to teach early tomorrow."

"Ok, Dimitri." I tried not to let my disappointment show. I wanted to keep talking with him. "Have a good weekend."

"You too." He stood, pulling his gym bag onto his shoulder. "Be safe."

"Always am, Comrade. Take care." I did a stupid little wave as he walked away, but I was pleased that he glanced back a few times. I sighed, grabbed my water bottle, and headed home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter! It's really long so I hope you don't mind! I've gotten a few votes on the poll and we're getting close to some actual romance between Rose and Dimitri, so vote soon if you care, otherwise, just wait and see! Thank you so much for the reviews also, they make my day! Well, I think that's all I have to say for now! I don't own anything from Richelle Mead's Universe. Enjoy!**

I went to the gym early on Friday, reliving every moment from the night before as I lifted. I kept catching myself with a stupid grin on my face, remembering the way he'd looked me over, the way he caught my eye across the room. I wasn't sure what it was about the man, but something drew me to him and I couldn't stay away.

When I got home, Lissa was sitting in front of the mirror in her room, putting on the finishing touches for her night out with Christian. "Are you going out tonight, Rose?" she asked, meeting my gaze in the reflection, lifting up two different earrings for comparison.

"Dangles," I told her, "Yeah the usual crew asked me to go out with them, they're sad you can't make it."

Lissa laughed, "I can't handle how hard you guys go during syllabus week. I'm better off sitting this one out!"

I grinned, when Lissa and I were still underage we had become good friends with a few TAs from our 101 classes, with full ulterior motives. They were a good way to get booze and the bar where the TAs hung out didn't card, as long as you came in with a regular. Lissa and I heard about the bar pretty quickly, and with Lissa's charisma and my fun-loving personality we became fast friends with the TAs and regulars at the bar. We still hung out with them as much as we could and syllabus week was a tradition. It was usually the only weekend of the semester that the whole group didn't have grading to do and I always enjoyed hearing about the latest trouble students. "You mean you'd rather hang out with your boyfriend than with us boring people," I teased.

Lissa rolled her eyes at me, knowing I was just trying to get a rise out of her. "Christian and I will go out with you next weekend, I promise." She said, exasperated.

"I'm going to hold you to that!" I told her, grinning. It wasn't often I could drag her out with me anymore. She wasn't really interested in the party scene now that she and Christian were talking about settling down, but when I could drag them out we always had a great time, even if we couldn't remember all of it.

Lissa groaned, but I shook my head. "No, you're not getting out of this! It will be great!"

"I know it will be, but every time we have a great night I spend the whole next day in bed, trying to recover."

I grinned, "Karma for the awesome night. It's a small price to pay!"

"Ok, ok, you're right. But now I really have to get going, Christian will be here any minute!"

Lissa looked gorgeous, as usual, her blonde hair was down in loose waves and she wore minimal makeup and a flowing green halter top dress. She had her typical carefree elegance, and looked like a summer princess. There was a knock on the front door and Lissa jumped, somehow Christian still caused butterflies for her even after four years. "Don't forget your bag! And have a great night, Liss,"

"Right, thanks," she responded, dashing around the room, collecting what she'd need for the night.

"Don't worry, I'll get the door. You're fine, Christian's early." I smiled, feeling like a mother hen.

"Thanks, Rose," she said distractedly.

I walked to the front door and opened it for Christian. Even I had to admit he looked good, he was dressed in black slacks, a white button-down shirt and a black sport-coat. "Jeez, Rose, shower lately?" he teased, waving his hand in front of his nose.

"Don't make me hug you," I warned, stepping aside so he could come inside.

"I don't think Lissa would be very happy if you made me pass out, Stinky," he grinned and sat down on the couch. "How was FBI training today?"

"Not too shabby, I think I'll be able to increase my weights early next week."

"Can you bench press me yet?" he teased.

"Not yet, Lissa I could though," I said proudly.

"That's awesome, Rose," he said, pride evident in his voice, too. For all of our teasing, Christian was in my corner just as much as Lissa and he made sure I knew it.

"Thanks, Sparky." It was an old nickname from high school, for some reason the small refrigerator in my room shocked him and only him every time he touched the handle.

He smiled, "At least the fridge here likes me."

Lissa came walking out at that point, laughing. "He does have a point, Rose."

"Hey, Gorgeous," Christian said, walking up to Lissa and kissing her cheek.

Lissa hugged him close, "You look great!"

"Thanks, babe. Ready to get out of here?" Christian picked up her bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Yep! Have a good night, Rose! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Lissa grinned at me.

"Lissa, I can't live with these constraints on my life!"

Lissa laughed, "Ok, just be safe then!"

"I will," I grinned, "You two crazy kids have a great night, okay?"

"Oh, we definitely will," Christian answered, "I have it all planned out."

"Then get going!" I ushered them out of the apartment, air-hugging Lissa so I wouldn't get my workout funk on her.

Once they were out of the apartment, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch. I took a deep drink and sighed. I really needed to start getting ready if I was going to go out tonight. I wished Lissa would be with us, but it also gave me a chance to really cut loose. I was always looking out for her when we were together, I couldn't help it, and sometimes I found it hard to relax.

"Ok Rose, time to get moving." I told myself. I took another pull on my beer and didn't move. "Seriously, time to shower." I lifted my arm and sniffed at my armpit, wondering if I could skip the shower. Nope, definitely not.

I stood up immediately and walked to the bathroom, stripping off my workout clothes. Christian was right, I stunk. I started the shower and sipped my beer, waiting while the water warmed. I needed to shave my legs too. The good thing about going out with the TAs was that I didn't need to dress up. They weren't a clubbing group, just friends who would laugh and drink and dance. It was going to be a fun night.

I showered quickly and towel-dried my hair, letting it air dry while I got dressed. I shimmied into some denim shorts and pulled on a loose, black V-neck top. I wasn't planning on flirting tonight, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. And free drinks didn't hurt either.

At nine I was just finishing getting ready, buckling the ankle straps on my high heels and putting on a last coat of lip gloss. I headed out to the bar to meet my friends, walking quickly and comfortably in the heels. The bouncer smiled at me when I walked up, giving me a quick hug before stepping aside to let me into the bar. "Having a good night, Jeremy?" I asked, walking inside.

"So far, Rose. You guys better not get too crazy!"

"Would we do that?" I asked, feigning surprise, and he shook his head in exasperation. He had a point; I had blurry memories of dancing on the bar the last time I was here.

This bar was typically shunned by the undergrads. It was fairly low key with just a bar and a few booths along the wall and a small dance floor in the back that didn't get much use. The perks were that the bartender would let you get away with anything once you were a regular. That meant unlimited pitchers and there was no better place to play drinking games on campus.

"Rose!" I heard my name called in unison by about six voices and I glanced around. I raised my arms in greeting and laughed, seeing the pitcher in the middle of the table already.

"You guys started without me!" I exclaimed, giving hugs all around.

"Come on, Sydney just lost so we're starting a new round."

"Sydney, you're usually so good at this!" I laughed.

"I know, but these losers trapped me." Sydney had a reputation on campus for being a tough teacher and an even stricter grader, but she kicked ass at drinking games and she was definitely up on the bar with me last time.

The game was called Sink the Ship, you took a pitcher of beer and floated a small water glass inside it. Each person had their own glass of beer and would pour some from their own glass into the floating one, anything from a single drop to the whole glass. Whoever made the floating glass sink had to chug it. Sydney was an expert at being able to pour out exactly the amount she wanted, which meant she rarely ever lost.

I took a drink from my glass and then poured a small amount of beer into the floater. We went around the table, pouring a little more into the glass each time, until the glass was literally even with the beer in the pitcher. We all yelled, waiting to see if the glass would actually sink after Eddie poured out a single drop of beer.

"Wait, wait!" Sydney begged, wanting more time for the glass to sink.

"You gotta do it," I told her.

"How do you losers always manage this?" she huffed, watching the glass sink after she poured in the drop of beer.

"We have to trap you early because once we're drunk you'll just kick all our asses." Eddie said, grinning.

Sydney finished chugging the beer and floated the glass again. "I guess that makes sense," she replied, shaking her head.

We played through several more rounds, people losing faster as they got drunker. Now the stories started, whose classes had insane workloads, which TA had hot students, and my favorite, whose students were idiots. The first week was the best for stories, especially about the students who thought they were impressive because they remembered random facts from high school reports. I drank my beer and listened to them share their first week horror stories. We worked our way through several more pitchers of beer until we were laughing and singing along to the music and the bartender, Jimmy, turned up the volume for us a little bit. Probably trying to drown us out.

"Time for shots!" I yelled. Everyone cheered and we piled out of the booth and crowded up to the bar. I felt someone staring at me and I looked around, trying to figure out who was watching. I almost missed him and I was surprised, again, how such a big man could fade into the background. There he was, seated back in a corner of the bar, watching everything. I wondered how long he'd been here. I caught his eye and lifted my shot glass toward him. I could see his white teeth flash as he grinned.

He stood up smoothly and stalked toward the bar. I motioned to Jimmy for another shot, and handed mine to Dimitri. "Hello, Roza," he murmured, taking the shot from me. "Not vodka? Normally everyone buys me vodka the first time."

"Fireball," I said, enthusiastically. "I'm not everyone."

"No, you are not." He smiled. "Cheers."

"Cheers," I agreed and we took the shot together.

"Rose, who's your friend?" Sydney asked, and suddenly the whole group was focused on me.

"Belikov!" Eddie yelled, elbowing his way through the group to stand next to me and Dimitri. "Everyone, this is Professor Belikov from the Classics department. He's new around campus and I invited him out to get him away from those crazy old farts."

I winced that he was introduced as a professor, but then I realized these guys had no way of knowing he was my professor. They all knew I was going to the FBI and I only took classes that would count toward my majors. They'd never suspect I was in Dimitri's classics class.

The group laughed, the Classics department had a reputation for being old and stuffy, and even the TAs didn't make it out much. "Well that's a shame! They shouldn't keep someone like you cooped up in a department like that!" I cringed, hearing the flirtation oozing from Meredith's voice.

"Cool it, Meredith," Eddie said, rolling his eyes. We all knew Meredith was newly single and looking, but the TAs tried not to hook up with anyone at this bar. It was sacred territory. "There are plenty of other bars on campus with good-looking guys. Belikov, if I can promise no one will hit on you, do you want to come and sit with us?"

_Bless you, Eddie._ I thought, grateful that I didn't have to make the invitation.

"If you wouldn't mind more company, I'd be happy to join you." Dimitri said and covertly caught my eye.

"Let's do another round of shots first!" Sydney was starting to hit her stride, and I could sense another round of bar dancing by the end of the night.

I grinned at Dimitri, "What's your poison, Comrade?"

"You tell me, you guys look like you're having a good time,"

I edged to the bar, nearly brushing up against Dimitri. "Always," I grinned at him. "Jimmy, another round of fireball!" The group cheered again and I heard Dimitri chuckle.

"You guys are gonna pay off your tab before finals week this semester, aren't you?" Jimmy asked, pouring out the shots.

"Of course, Jimmy!" Eddie called. "A couple of us have big time grants now."

"Sure, sure," the bartender laughed. He'd known some of them since they were undergrads and he took care of all of us. "Do you want me to turn up the music?"

"Not yet," Katie called. "We have to initiate the newbie."

As one the group stared at Dimitri, and Jimmy handed him a double. "You're gonna need this, Mate. Be careful with this group,"

"Jimmy, don't scare him," Meredith teased.

"You make it sound like we're mean," Mark whined.

"I'm just letting him know what he's in for! Ok you guys, Drink!" As one we all downed the shots and smacked the glasses upside-down on the bar. "You guys are getting better at that," Jimmy laughed proudly.

"We learned from the best," I said.

We went back and piled into the booth, space getting cramped with the addition of Dimitri's bulk. I ended up sitting half on his lap so we could all fit on the benches, but he didn't seem to mind. "Another round?" Sydney asked, and everyone laughed. Of course she'd want to play more.

"She's really good," I whispered to Dimitri. "She likes to make the rest of us drunk."

"She's that good?" Dimitri asked and I grinned wickedly. Sydney happened to have the seat on the other side of him.

"Let's play!" I cheered. I took a sip of my beer and then poured some in the still floating glass. I winked at Syd and knew everyone else had seen. They were good about it too, pouring just a little in the glass until it was Sydney's turn. Sydney very carefully poured until the glass was even with the beer in the pitcher. "Your turn," I grinned at Dimitri.

"Is that even possible?" Dimitri asked, incredulous.

"I can do it every time," Sydney said proudly.

Dimitri tried to pour just a drop into the glass, but he wasn't used to the game and he sunk the glass.

"Chug!" we shouted and Dimitri complied, fishing out the sunken glass and downing the beer.

"There's no way you can do that every time," Dimitri told Sydney. "You start this time."

Sydney topped off her pint with the spare pitcher while Dimitri re-floated the water glass. "Are you sure?" She asked him.

"Go for it. I'm going to make Rose drink," he declared.

"You're welcome to try, Comrade," I grinned at him.

Sydney poured from her pint again, and again stopped just short of sinking the glass. "No way," Dimitri murmured, trying again to pour out a single drop. He sunk the glass again and the table laughed.

"Chug!" we shouted again. Dimitri fished out the glass, again, and chugged it.

"Again?" Sydney asked him.

"Da," Dimitri said and I smiled down at my lap. I was pretty sure that the use of the Russian word meant the alcohol was affecting him.

Sydney topped off her pint again, took a drink, then poured into the floating glass, stopping again just short of sinking it. Dimitri leaned in, staring intensely at his pint as he tried to pour just a drop into the glass. The table held its collective breath as a single drop fell into the water glass. We waited for the glass to sink, but it stabilized after a single bob. "Rose!" the table shouted and I groaned. I could feel Dimitri settle back against the bench with satisfaction.

It was my turn to concentrate now. I leaned in, holding my pint glass carefully, trying to drop just a drip into the glass. Just as I was tilting my glass, Dimitri brushed his fingers against my leg. My arm trembled and I spilled a few drops into the glass and it sunk to the bottom of the pitcher.

"Chug!" the table shouted and I was pleased to hear Dimitri's Russian accent in the chorus. I fished out the glass and chugged it, drying my hand with one of the napkins on the table.

"I love this song!" Meredith yelled from the other side of the table, pushing at Mark and Katie to let her out of the booth. "Jimmy, turn the music up!"

_Got a bottle of whatever but it's getting us drunk_

_Singing here's to never growing up_

"That wasn't fair," I whispered to Dimitri.

"We weren't playing fair, Roza," he grinned and started scooting out of the booth, pulling me with him. "I think they want to dance."

Everyone was headed back to the small dance floor, cajoling the other regulars in the bar to come back with us. I was singing along with the song, enjoying the company. Even though Dimitri came back to the dance floor with me, he walked over and leaned in the corner, just watching. "Wanna dance, Comrade?" I asked, coming up to him after a few songs.

"I don't dance, just a slow dance on occasion. But I enjoy watching you." He smiled at me, and I could tell it was the truth. He really was enjoying himself.

I grinned at him. It was only about 12:30 and things were going to get crazy in about an hour. "Want to get another drink then?"

"More Fireball?" he groaned.

"Nope, whatever you want this time." I winked at him and the grin I got in return was almost predatory.

"Do you like tequila?" he asked and I returned the same kind of grin.

"My favorite. These guys are too weak for it." I told him, taking him by the hand and pulling him up to the bar. "Jimmy, two of my favorite."

"Rose, are you going to drink another man under the table?" Jimmy asked setting out the salt shaker and a couple limes.

"Tequila was his idea, Jimmy," I laughed.

"Are you crazy, man?" Jimmy asked Dimitri. "If she makes a bet with you for her tab, then stay away. I've had more men pass out in my booths…" Jimmy trailed off and I grinned.

"Jimmy, it's only been like three, maybe four. Not my fault they can't hold their liquor!"

"Roza, I'm surprised you'd take advantage of a man like that!" Dimitri looked down at me, clearly amused.

"This girl's dangerous," Jimmy agreed.

"Well I'm sure my Russian blood will help with that." Dimitri smirked.

"Whatever you say, man." Jimmy said, pushing over the two glasses of tequila "She took out an Irish exchange student last year."

Dimitri laughed. "Irish isn't Russian." He winked at me, holding my gaze as he licked his hand and poured salt on it. "Whenever you're ready, Roza."

I licked my hand too, and picked up the lime. "On three. One, two, three," We locked gazes, licking the salt off our hands and swallowing the tequila. I winced, breaking eye contact and sucked on the lime. "Whew," I gasped after I placed the lime in the shot glass.

Dimitri grinned at me, eyes searching my face. "Are you all right, Roza?"

"Perfect," I grinned, and I was. I knew I'd pay in the morning, but right now I was flying high.

"Rose, where'd you go?" I heard Sydney call.

"Will you stick around a while longer?" I asked him, wanting to dance with my friends but not wanting to lose a minute with him.

"I'll stay. It seems that there aren't many people that can drink with you." I smiled, he was right and I was glad he was staying.

I returned to the dance floor, catching Dimitri's eye as often as I could to make sure he was staying, making sure that he knew I was thinking about him. My heart pounded for a moment at one point when I couldn't find him, but I saw him over at the bar and relaxed. Next time I looked he was back in his corner with two glasses, one he lifted toward me. I walked over to him and he handed me a glass of water. "I thought you might need this."

"You're amazing," I gasped, downing the water. "Are you still having fun?"

"You're having a good time, I can tell. All of you are. And so am I."

We stood there, just smiling at each other and I struggled to find something to say. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Meredith speaking to Jimmy over the bar. "You know, tonight's going to get even crazier."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Definitely. Probably in a song or two, actually."

"How do you know that?"

The song intro cut through the noise of the bar and my friends cheered, making for the bar. Jimmy had mostly cleared it off already. "I knew it," I smiled at him. "Don't leave without me, ok?"

"Ok, Roza," he agreed, puzzled.

"Rose!" my friends yelled from on top of the bar.

_It's going down, I'm yelling "timber!"_

_You better move, you better dance_

I lifted myself onto the bar and stood, careful where I placed my feet in my heels. My friends and I had learned the dance to this song months ago and added it to a few others we'd learned in a period of Coyote Ugly obsession. On the nights we got a little crazy, Jimmy let us dance on his bar if it wasn't too crowded. He even had a special playlist for us.

_Let's make a night you won't remember_

_I'll be the one you won't forget_

The bar was cheering us and I could see Dimitri watching me from the back of the room, his dark eyes blazing. Jimmy was hustling to pour shots for the renewed crowd at the bar, careful to avoid our stomping feet.

_Swing your partner round and round_

_End of the night it's going down_

_One more shot another round_

_End of the night it's going down_

I loved dancing with these girls. Every semester we taped out the width of the bar on Sydney's kitchen floor so we could learn the new songs. Then we'd lock ourselves in her apartment for the entire weekend with copious amounts of wine, YouTube tutorials, and loud music.

_Timber_ faded out and another song started, the four of us laughing and singing along with the music. I lost track of how many songs we danced to, but I could tell the night was winding down. _Devil Went Down to Georgia_ started, leading to hoots from some of the guys that had seen us dance before.

_Devil went down to Georgia_

_Looking for a soul to steal_

_He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind_

_And he was looking to make a deal_

The girls and I chanted along with the music, stomping our feet to the beat, careful not to slip on the alcohol coated surface of the bar.

_Fire on the mountain_

_Run boys run_

_Devil's in the house of the rising sun_

We prepared for the finale, stomping along and finishing with a tap dance "ta-da" pose before we collapsed with laughter. "Ok you guys, off my bar." Jimmy laughed, wiping the surface of the bar with a clean towel. "Last call!" One by one we hopped down, and, being the steadiest of the group, I went last, helping the other girls and making sure they were steady on their feet. When I moved to get down, Dimitri was there to help, tightening his hands around my waist and lifting me to the floor.

"That was… Interesting, Roza." He told me, walking with me away from the bar.

"Did you enjoy the show, Dimitri?" I asked, still on a high from dancing.

"I did. You girls were certainly having fun. Do you dance like that often?" I noticed his hand was still on my waist, just barely touching me, as if to make sure he didn't lose me in a crowd. But there wasn't a crowd, just a couple dozen people.

"When the mood strikes us," I laughed.

"Excellent dancing, as always, Rose," Eddie said, walking up to us. "I'm going to take off, Sydney and Meredith are heading home and I want to make sure they make it back ok."

"You're so sweet, Eddie," I told him, giving him a quick hug. "You be careful too."

"I will, same goes for you, Rose. I know you're all warrior woman, but just be safe."

"I'll walk her back," Dimitri volunteered. "From what she's told me, we live pretty close to each other."

"Thanks, Belikov. I didn't want to ask but that would make me feel better." Eddie smiled with relief.

"You guys worry too much," I teased, knowing Eddie would think it suspicious if I didn't protest.

"Thanks for coming out, Rose," Eddie said and kissed my cheek. "You too, Belikov," Eddie shook Dimitri's hand and walked out with Sydney and Meredith.

"Is that all right with you, Roza?" Dimitri asked. "I'd feel better knowing you made it home safely."

"It's fine with me, Dimitri." I smiled fondly at him, "You don't have to worry about me though, I can handle myself."

"I can tell, but I'd still worry about you, Roza." I could feel that heated gaze on my face, my body again.

"Well then, are you ready to take off, Comrade?" I asked Dimitri, feeling adrenaline starting to pump through my system.

"Whenever you're ready, Roza," he said and I grinned, it seemed like he couldn't say my name enough, and I felt chills every time he said it.

"Then let's get out of here."


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, a lot of you guys were complaining that I left you hanging, so here's the next chapter (Not that this one ends much better! Cue evil laugh). It's not nearly as long as the last one and I'm worried that I rushed it, but I think it's ok. Let me know if you think this one isn't up to code! Also, a big thank you to everyone that's reviewed, favorited, or followed, you are all amazing! And of course Dimitri's a gentleman, he grew up with sisters and his mama and grandma made sure he knew how to treat a woman. I think that side of him really comes through in this chapter, even though he and Rose are both pretty drunk. Well, I hope you enjoy! As always, I own nothing from Richelle Mead's universe!**

Dimitri and I walked easily together, neither of us speaking, a pleasant tension gathering between us. Our hands brushed and our fingers tangled together, seemingly by chance, but neither of us let go. My heart pounded in my chest and I wondered if he could feel my hand shaking.

"Are you ok, Roza?" Dimitri asked.

So much for hiding my shaking hands, "Yeah, why do you ask?" I tried to sound offhand but my voice slurred more than I'd like.

"You're walking slowly. I was wondering if your feet were hurting." He ducked his head, almost as if he were embarrassed for noticing.

"I don't think I'll be dancing on any more bars tonight, but I'm ok to make it home." I smiled at him and squeezed his large hand. "Are you ok, Comrade?" I noticed that his Russian accent was even thicker, and I couldn't be sure, but I thought his words were slurring a bit too.

"Perfect," he smiled down at me. "I had a good time tonight. Do you go out with them often?"

"When their schedules let them, it's rare for all of us to make it out together other than the first and last weeks of the semester. Sometimes just a couple of us will go to one of the bigger bars on campus. Jimmy's place is more for low key nights."

"Tonight was low key?" he asked, skeptically.

"No drunken makeouts or hookups, no fights, no groping. Definitely low key," I grinned. "That's the charm of Jimmy's, it's just friends hanging out."

"Sounds like you get pretty crazy, Roza." Dimitri said, eyeing me closely.

"Sometimes," I smiled a man-eater smile at him. "But lately it's been mostly fights. I swear that guys are getting pushier. Makes me wonder if my boobs got bigger or something."Dimitri coughed delicately but I saw him look me over again and I smiled inwardly, pleased with myself. "Thankfully Lissa can get anybody to do what she wants, so no one's called the cops on me."

"Where is the infamous Lissa?" Dimitri asked, seizing the new subject.

"She and her boyfriend, Christian, had date night tonight." I smiled, hoping they had a good time.

"Are they serious?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Very. They started dating in high school and now they're just waiting to graduate so they can settle down." I couldn't help the twinge of envy in my voice. I loved them both but sometimes I ached to have someone for myself.

Dimitri squeezed my hand and we walked a little more in silence, him following my lead. "I live up in that building." I said, pointing with my free hand at my building. "You don't have to walk me up." I didn't want him to feel like he had to take care of me.

"Would you mind if I did?" he asked, and I squeezed his hand, pleased that he wanted to walk with me.

"Not at all. I just don't want you to feel like you have to."

"I want to, Roza," he murmured.

We had reached my door and I hesitated. "Do you want to come inside?"

"I'd like that."

I fished my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door, pulling him in behind me. He closed the door and threw the deadbolt, standing awkwardly in the entryway. "Lissa's spending the night at Christian's so we don't have to worry about waking her up. Would you like something to drink?" I asked, bending over to unbuckle my shoes. "Whoa," I stumbled and Dimitri placed a stabilizing hand on my hip. "Thanks," I grinned up at him, probably looking pretty goofy bent over at the waist, my hair hanging down over my head. I quickly unbuckled the shoes and stepped out. "Thank goodness," I muttered, kicking the shoes up against the door. "So how about that drink? I can repay you for that water at the bar."

"Water would be great," He said, bending down to take off his own shoes. He must be one of those people that didn't wear shoes inside.

"You can sit over on the couch if you'd like." I said, gesturing at the sofa in the living room. He walked over in his socks, moving lightly. Suddenly I was nervous, unsure what to do now that he was here. I got two glasses of water and sat down on the couch, a careful 8 inches of space between our thighs. "Here you go," I said smiling, holding out the glass to him.

"Thank you, Roza," he murmured, sliding his fingers over mine to take the glass. We drank in silence, our eyes meeting over the rim of our glasses. He shifted to place the glass on the coffee table, moving so we were almost touching. "How do your feet feel?"

"Much better now that I have those shoes off!" I raised my legs and flexed my feet, giggling when I lost my balance and almost fell into his lap. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and settled me up against his warm chest.

"I think you're a little drunk, Roza." He murmured, his chin brushing against my head.

"More than a little drunk, Comrade," I giggled, leaning my head back against him. "You're comfy."

"I don't think I've ever been told that before," I could hear the smile in his voice and felt him tighten his arm around me.

"Well, it's true. You make a good pillow." I settled a little bit deeper against him.

"Are you tired, Roza?" he asked, brushing his fingers through my hair.

"Yeah, pretty tired." I murmured, enjoying him touching me.

"Do you want to go to bed?"

"I don't want you to leave," I whispered, "I like this."

"Then let's get you into comfortable clothes at least," he said, urging me to sit up.

"Are you trying to get me naked, Comrade?" I giggled, struggling upright. "Are you drunk too?"

"Da," he answered, standing up and pulling me with him.

"Which one?" I stumbled to my feet and he steadied me. "Ow, feet," I complained.

He reached down and scooped me up, walking back toward the bedrooms. "Does that help?"

"Perfect. My room's the first one. You're strong too." I looked up at him, awed by how good he looked.

"Strong and comfortable; you certainly give interesting complements, Roza." He smiled down at me, gently setting me on the bed.

"I just tell it like it is, Comrade." I smiled at him. "Thank you, you didn't have to do this."

"I want to, Roza."

"If I go change, will you still be here when I get back?" I asked, desperately needing him to stay.

"I'll be here." He smiled.

"Will you stay?"

"If you want," he pet my hair again, sliding his fingers through it.

I got up quickly and went into the bathroom, taking my oversized shirt and short shorts in with me. I brushed my teeth and changed quickly, afraid he would leave. He was still there when I came back out, and I sighed with relief. "Give me one more minute," I begged, walking out to get another glass of water and turning off the lights in the apartment, making sure the doors were locked.

He was sitting on my bed when I came back and I smiled nervously. He reached out and took the water from my hand, setting the glass on my nightstand. "Come here, Roza," he murmured, pulling back the covers on my bed. "Let me tuck you in."

I smiled and climbed into bed, grabbing his wrist. "Stay here, Dimitri, with me." I whispered and he smiled.

"All right. Just let me get the light, Roza." He stood and turned off the light, easing down onto the bed with me, but on top of the covers.

"Dimitri?" I asked in the dark, afraid to move closer to him, unsure what to do with our tenuous relationship.

"Yes, Roza?" My eyes had adjusted and I saw him reach out, lightly brushing back my hair.

"Um, those jeans can't be too comfortable…"

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable." He whispered, petting my hair.

"You won't. Thank you for staying."

"Anytime, Roza," he whispered, standing up and I could see him step out of his jeans and set them over the back of my desk chair. Then, much to my appreciation, he took off his black thermal tee too, placing it on top of his jeans. "Is this Ok?" he asked, standing in just his boxer/briefs.

"Definitely," I grinned and pulled back the sheets, inviting him to lie next to me.

He lay down and scooped me close, settling my head on his bare shoulder. I reached my arm over his wide chest and settled comfortably against him, enjoying the heat from his body. "Goodnight, Roza," I heard him whisper, his free hand brushing through my hair again, "Sleep well."

"You too, Dimitri," I murmured and, daringly, pressed a kiss to his chest. I felt his arm tighten around me for a second before I drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I am so, so sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter! I have been writing a 25 page research paper, organizing an oral advocacy competition, and preparing/performing a full trial for a class. Plus spring break was in there. But I just want you guys to know that I didn't forget you! I should be able to write more often now that the competition and trial are done, and hopefully get this story moving! So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and that it was worth the wait!**

"Oh, head," I muttered in the darkness, feeling the telltale pounding already. I groped around for my phone, determined to silence the irritating noise.

"Roza?" I heard Dimitri's sleepy voice and I barely kept from cursing. I hadn't meant to wake him up.

"Phone. Aspirin," I murmured, too sleepy to really respond coherently. I slid over his body and out of bed, figuring I had left my phone in the pocket of last night's shorts. I finally found it and turned off the alarm, managing to blind myself with it in the pre-dawn darkness. I stood in the blessed silence and waited for my eyes to readjust to the darkness. When I could finally see, I noticed Dimitri propped up on one arm in my bed, looking amazing without a shirt.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, looking concerned.

I smiled softly at him. "Yeah, just forgot to turn off my alarm. Want some aspirin?"

"That would be wonderful," he answered, rubbing his head as he sat up. I grabbed the bottle from my desk. "Thank you, Roza," he said as I shook two into his hand. He downed them with a single swallow from the glass of water, and then handed it to me. I was careful to put my mouth exactly where his had been, getting a little thrill from it as I swallowed the pills.

"Scoot over, Dimitri," I mumbled, too nervous to crawl past him.

He smiled and rubbed his head again, ruffling his shoulder length hair. "Come here, Roza," he whispered softly, lifting the covers for me and making room.

I slid under the covers and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to his body. He tangled his legs with mine and I settled against him, enjoying every single place we were touching. My head was resting on his arm and I wondered if I was making it fall asleep, "Should I move my head?"

"Just go back to sleep, Roza." He smiled, sliding his thumb over my cheek and I did as he said.

"ROSE!" The shout practically echoed through the apartment and as one Dimitri and I winced, barely avoiding knocking our heads together. "RISE AND SHINE, ROSIE!"

"I'm going to kill him," I muttered, nestling further into Dimitri's collarbone.

"I'll help," Dimitri agreed, curling his arms around me protectively. "Who is that?"

"Christian." I spat his name, wondering why he and Lissa were over so early.

"ROSE!"

"Do we need to get up?" Dimitri asked, starting to rise.

"Nooo," I groaned, holding him even tighter

"WE'RE GOING FOR BREAKFAST YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US," I couldn't be sure, but now it sounded like Christian was in the hallway, and it was probably 50/50 if he'd come into my room.

I held my finger up in front of my lips to keep Dimitri quiet, figuring I better do something to keep Christian out. "Christian, if you don't leave and let me sleep THIS SECOND I will hurt you!" I shouted, knowing the threat would make him turn tail for the door.

"Ok, ok Lissa just said I should ask," he called, and I was relieved to hear his voice coming from back near the front door.

"Christian," I called, my voice oozing barely veiled threats.

"Bye Rose," I heard the hurried yell and then the door shutting and locking.

"That was close," I murmured, meeting Dimitri's curious gaze. "Half-dressed and in bed is not how I want you to meet Christian. Or Lissa. And trust me; you are not prepared to face them when you're half awake and hung-over."

"They're that intense?" Dimitri asked, clearly skeptical.

I blushed, slightly embarrassed by my overprotective friends. "Well, Lissa just wants to be sure that I'm treated well. And Christian is twice as bad, because he is not only protective of me, but he also feels it's his manly duty to scare the shit out of any potential dates."

"In that case, maybe I should wait until I'm not in your bed to meet them." He whispered, drawing my head back onto his chest.

I giggled, "That would probably be best."

"I'm going to have to leave soon," He murmured.

I sat up, suddenly alert. "How soon?"

He smiled. "In a couple hours, probably. We can sleep a little more."

I snuggled even closer, still feeling the effects of the alcohol from the night before. "Thank goodness, I'm not ready to get up yet."

"Me neither." He whispered and I thought I felt his lips press into my hair.

When I woke up I was pleased to find Dimitri was still sleeping. I slid out of bed and walked to the bathroom, scrubbing the cottony feel from my mouth. Then I padded into the kitchen, and started up my favorite kitchen appliance, the coffee maker. I brewed a cup and sipped it while I brewed a second cup for Dimitri.

I walked quietly back into my room and stared at Dimitri's sleeping form, maybe being a little creepy, but he was so gorgeous, the sheet tangled around his waist, his tan chest bare and muscular. His face was completely relaxed, the slightest hint of a smile as he breathed heavily in his sleep. He must've felt me watching him though because his eyes opened and locked on me.

"I brought you coffee," I said, holding out the cup.

"Thank you, Roza," He sat up and took the cup from me. I watched him closely over the rim of my cup, in awe of his sculpted muscles.

"You have to go soon, don't you?" I asked reluctantly, but feeling guilty that I was keeping him from doing his work.

"I do," he sighed. "Probably when I finish this cup of coffee."

I tried not to pout but I didn't want him to leave. "I'm so glad you were there last night."

"Me too," he smiled as he drained the last of the coffee. "I do have to go, but, I'd like to get your number first?"

I grinned, very pleased by the request, "Of course!"

Dimitri stood and slipped on his jeans, pulling his phone from the pocket. I gave him my number, but I didn't ask for his, telling him I'd get it when he called me. Sure, it was petty, but I didn't trust that he felt the same way I did. I wanted to be sure he contacted me first.

I walked him to the front door, placing the coffee cups on the kitchen counter while he pulled on his black boots. I waited for him to stand, feeling the burn of his gaze over my pajamas as he straightened. "Thank you for a great night," he whispered, kissing my cheek as he opened the door. "I'll call you later."

I sighed as the door clicked shut behind him, a giant grin creeping over my face. "Wow," I whispered, pressing my palm to the spot where he kissed me. I stood like that for a moment, before I realized what a giant dork I was being. Even then, I couldn't wipe the smile from my face.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again! I'm back to publishing fairly consistently and hopefully that will continue. I have closed the poll on my page and by overwhelming majority, Dimitri will be Rose's first. No lemons in this chapter, but there is mention of her being a virgin. Please continue to review, especially if you find issues with my writing or believability of the story. I based some of Rose's interactions with her TAs loosely on my own experience (mainly just the drinking together portions) as well as my interpretation of her character before she ran away from St. Vlads. I also welcome private messages if you have any questions about the story that you don't want to ask in a review! Here's chapter 9 and I hope you enjoy it!**

The whole day I was jumpy, afraid to move too far away from my phone, checking it constantly to be sure I hadn't turned off the ringer. I was worried that Dimitri would call and I would miss it and then I'd have to call him back and think of something to talk about and—_Stop it, Rose!_ I told myself, cutting off the internal panic. He would call, or he wouldn't. There was nothing I could do about it now.

"ROSEMARIE HATHAWAY," Lissa shouted when she opened the door to our apartment, a sheepish Christian slinking in behind her.

"What, Lissa? Stop shouting I'm right here." I told her from the kitchen, grateful I hadn't had anything in my hands to drop when she scared me.

"I WILL NOT STOP SHOUTING! YOU HAD A MAN HERE THIS MORNING!"

Oh, shit. Christian must've seen Dimitri's shoes, and somehow told Lissa about it. I glared at him as he tried to hide behind Lissa's small frame and her anger. "Lissa, it was no big deal…" I started.

"NO BIG DEAL? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT YOU NEEDING TO WAIT FOR THE RIGHT MAN? I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO MAKE MY MISTAKES!" Lissa was clearly worked up; she was more defensive of my virginity than I was. "PLEASE TELL ME YOU AT LEAST REMEMBER IT. YOU DIDIN'T LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY WHILE YOU WERE BLACKED OUT, DID YOU? HAS HE CALLED YOU? DID YOU KNOW HIM? DO YOU REMEMBER HIS NAME?"

"LISSA!" I roared, cutting off her tirade. "I didn't lose my virginity, yes I know him, I wasn't blacked out, and he just stayed the night."

Lissa looked at me skeptically, "Are you lying to make me stop shouting?"

"No," I huffed, although that is something I would do.

"Did you get to third base?"

"No."

"Second base?"

"No."

"First base?"

"No."

"Are you lying?"

"NO!"

"Rose you're telling me a man spent the night in your bed and you didn't even kiss?"

"He could've slept on my floor?" I said, trying to distract her. Maybe Dimitri didn't like me after all. He hadn't called yet. Maybe he just pitied me and stayed because he felt bad telling me no.

"Did he sleep on your floor?" she asked sternly.

"No," I answered reluctantly. "I don't know, we just slept, and then he left this morning. He said he'd call me…"

Lissa's face softened. "You really like this one, don't you?"

"Yes," I whispered, suddenly overwhelmed that I hadn't heard from Dimitri yet. It was nearly 6 p.m. and he hadn't even tried to contact me.

"It's ok Rose, I'm sure he'll call." Lissa said sympathetically. "Sorry about the third degree, Christian mentioned your 'huge black combat boots' nearly tripping him this morning and I panicked."

"Lissa, we have to get you less involved in my love life," I teased. "It's going to happen eventually."

"I just don't want your first time to be a one night stand with some drunk asshole!" she objected.

"I don't know why you're convinced that that's the type of man I'd end up bringing home…" I replied, indignant. This was an old argument we'd been having since she found blissful love with Christian and became determined that no one else would ever have an experience like her and Aaron.

"Rose, I'm just here to protect you," she teased and the last of the tension left the room.

I flopped down on the couch, purposely leaving my phone on the counter in the kitchen. "How was date night/ breakfast/ today?"

"It was great! Very relaxing…" Lissa and Christian took turns telling me what they'd done for dinner, what they thought of the movie, and what they'd done today. I tried to pay attention but I kept staring at my cell phone, willing Dimitri to call, fighting the urge to go make sure I hadn't silenced it.

We were just discussing what we should do for dinner when the loud, piercing ring of my phone came from the kitchen. I felt a huge dump of adrenaline hit my bloodstream as the phone continued to ring. I stood up on shaky legs and promptly felt as if my stomach had dropped to the floor. I tried to swallow, despite my dry throat as I picked up my phone and saw that it wasn't any of my contacts calling.

"Hello," I whispered, then cleared my throat. "Hello?" _Get a grip Rose it's just a phone call._

"Hello, did you know there is a break-in every—" I hit the end button, cutting off the recorded voice. I was disappointed but relieved that Dimitri hadn't heard my scratchy greeting.

"Telemarketer," I told Lissa and Christian, walking back to sit with them.

My phone rang in my hand, and just that quick it happened again; adrenaline dump, dropping stomach, shaking legs. "Hello?" I answered, not daring to look at the screen.

"Roza?" Dimitri's voice came through the tiny speaker of the phone and I felt the grin spread across my face.

"Hi, Dimitri," I said, turning on my heel and walking into my room, ignoring Christian and Lissa mouthing questions at me. I was really nervous, I didn't spend a lot of time talking on the phone, but I wanted to talk to him!

"How was your day?" he asked, his voice soft and sincere.

"It was good! I didn't do too much, read on my balcony for a while and drank half the water supply in the city. How was yours?" I smiled to myself. I hadn't made a fool of myself yet, I could do this; I could have a real phone conversation!

He laughed at my antics and I grinned, pleased I could make him laugh. "I'm glad you had a good day. I think I drank the other half of the water supply today, along with having some very vivid flashbacks to my days as a TA and grading papers while I was hung over."

I giggled; a very un-Rose-like sound that was a mix of nerves and amusement; "Did that happen a lot?"

"A fair amount," he chuckled. "Although I never had a night quite like last night. We never danced on the bar."

"Not even on the tables?" I asked, slightly horrified.

"Not even on the tables," he confirmed. "I don't really trust them."

I laughed for real this time, my nerves finally settled. "You're a little big for them, huh?"

"And I don't dance," he reminded me, teasing.

"You're missing out," I informed him. "It's fun!"

"I could see that you enjoyed it."

"Maybe one day I'll get you to dance with me," I teased him.

"We'll see," his tone tolerant, but I was more focused on the fact that he was ok with seeing me again. "Are you planning to come to my class on Monday?" He asked, hesitantly.

"I'm enrolled, aren't I? I'll be there." I said, unsure if he was going to be weird about it again. "I'll behave, I promise." I assured him.

"I'm not worried about that," he assured me, "you're smart enough to understand the situation. Besides, it's not entirely unheard of for something like this to happen. We just have to be careful. And I don't want you to feel obligated whatsoever. You don't have to hang out with me if you don't want to, Roza. I don't want you to feel like you have to spend time with me."

I smiled, touched that he had the same issues I did, "I'll be sure to tell you if I ever feel that way," I assured him; "As long as you promise to do the same?"

"I promise," he confirmed warmly. "So I guess I'll see you Monday?"

"Well, you could call me or send me a text or something tomorrow, if you want?"

"I think I could do that," he murmured, low and intimate. "Have a good night, Roza."

"You too, Dimitri. Sleep tight."

"I will."

There was a long pause between us, as if neither of us wanted to hang up the phone.

"Bye, Roza," he whispered.

"Bye," I whispered back, regretting that our conversation was over so soon, but unsure what I would else I wanted to talk about with him.

The phone beeped in my ear, confirming that Dimitri had ended the call and I sighed, a giant grin creeping back across my face. I didn't know what it was about the man, but he had me so mixed up I couldn't think straight. And somehow, the more time I spent with him, the more time I wanted to spend with him. It was like an addiction, the more I got the more I needed. And I couldn't find it in myself to resist him. Maybe I would discover some flaw I just couldn't stand or he would tire of me, but until that moment, I wouldn't hold back. There was something special about Dimitri, and I had to know what it was.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again! I realized I've been quite rude, so thank you so, so much to every single one of you reading this! Follows, favorites, and especially reviews are amazing! This chapter is another short one, just filler really, but I wanted to throw in some mythology since there hasn't been a lot so far! As always, I own nothing except the plot! Please continue to review, I love hearing from you!**

Lissa, Christian, and I spent the night laughing and talking. I point blank refused to answer their questions about Dimitri, so instead we stayed up late and watched Netflix. I couldn't help but miss Dimitri. Even though it had only been a day since I'd seen him, a week since I'd met him, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I wanted to text him more than anything, but I had no idea what I'd say. How did you tell someone you just met that you missed them terribly?

When Christian was getting ready to leave and Lissa walked him to the door, I disappeared into my room, not wanting to see them kissing. I took out my phone and pulled up a new text message. I couldn't wait any longer when I could easily talk to him. I stared at the blank message, my thumbs dancing around over the screen. I re-typed the message half a dozen times before I finally deleted it. He said he'd talk to me tomorrow, and I could wait. I didn't want to be some creepy stalker chick.

I got ready for bed quickly and curled up where he had lain this morning. Who was I kidding, I couldn't resist. I'll just send him something he doesn't have to respond to, I decided. My thumbs did that stupid little dance again before I finally typed, _Hope you had a good rest of your night, mine wasn't nearly as fun as last night! :)_ I tapped send and gasped, horrified at myself. I threw my phone face down on the bed and debated throwing my pillow over it or silencing it. Why couldn't I just wait until tomorrow?

A couple of long, anxiety-filled minutes later my phone pinged, announcing his response. Was it possible to run out of adrenaline? I wondered, feeling the dump through my body yet again. _My night was boring, but at least grading papers won't make you hung over._

I grinned, excited that he had responded. Idly I wondered what he looked like when he was grading. _You need to have more fun! Grading papers all day doesn't sound like a great Saturday!_

_Tell me about it!_ He replied and I laughed. _What did you do? _

_Watched Netflix with Christian and Lissa and ate pizza. Much more exciting than your night!_

_ That sounds pretty fun! What was on Netflix?_

_ We've been rewatching Lost. It's still the good early seasons. Did you really only grade papers all day? That sounds horrible._

_ It's not so bad, it was just reflections from my advanced myth class, they had to write their favorite version of their favorite myth and tell me why it was their favorite. I want to be sure I cover them all. _

_ That's really cool!_ I was amazed he'd dedicate so much time for his students.

_It always bothered me when profs didn't mention my favorite stories or versions. I swore I wouldn't ever do that. But my students don't really appreciate the early work._

_ You didn't tell them why they were writing the paper, did you?_ It felt as if Dimitri was in the room with me, talking to me, and I found I could read him just as well.

_I didn't. _I could imagine his sheepish look as he admitted the treachery. _I want them to be honest with me, not try to find the most academically advanced myth so they seem superior. Everyone writes about Prometheus stealing fire or Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the mountain every day for academia. I like hearing about how Hephaestus caught Ares with Aphrodite, it's a nice change._

_ If you had to write the paper, what would yours be on?_

_ Hercules. Despite Hera's hatred he completed the 12 labors, and it's a lengthy myth. It was my favorite when I was growing up. _

_ Because killing Lions and Hydras and cleaning stables is a wonderful bedtime story :p _I included the emoticon so he'd know I was teasing. I really didn't want him to take it the wrong way, especially because he was so close to his family.

_ When I complained about cleaning my grandmother used to remind me that "at least I wasn't cleaning out the Augean Stables"_

_Sounds rough!_ By this time I was starting to doze off, smiling like an idiot as my thumbs raced over the screen of my phone.

_ What would your paper be on?_ He asked and I smiled, loving—whoa, no—enjoying that he actually asked me questions to keep the conversation going.

_The creation of the constellation Orion, the one where Apollo tricks Artemis into shooting Orion_ I replied, recalling the myth. Orion had nearly seduced the virgin huntress with his friendship and skill as a hunter. Her twin brother intervened, challenging Artemis to strike a single speck upon the surface of the earth; a speck that turned out to be Orion. In her grief over killing the hunter, Artemis immortalized Orion in the sky.

_No one has ever given me that one before. Why do you like that one?_

I blushed, unsure how much I wanted to reveal to him via text. _Artemis is a huntress, which I like, and the whole moon thing speaks to me. I love the night._ I carefully avoided any mention of her virginity, or how Apollo reminded me of Lissa, violently defensive of my chastity. I didn't really want us to discuss my virginity over text. …Or at all, I reminded myself sternly. No discussing virginity status with the professor.

_I would have thought you'd prefer the Iliad, that has gods creating mischief and involved in human affairs. _

I smiled at how well he knew me already, _That is my favorite story, but you asked for myths. The Iliad is a little long for a paper on myths._

_I would be thanking you for that consideration, if I had to grade your paper! _I could feel him teasing me, and I grinned, curling up on my side and catching a whiff of his scent in my pillow.

_Don't worry, I'll write a really horrible one for you to read :p_ I hoped he didn't shut down on me again, but I couldn't help teasing him. I was truly enjoying myself.

_Somehow I doubt you could do that _I smiled and started typing out a reply, but I was just too tired to finish it. I started awake when my phone went off in my hand. The poor guy had probably starred at that little conversation bubble for quite a while waiting for me to respond. _Goodnight, Roza._

I typed out my response, struggling to make my bleary eyes focus on what I was typing, feeling bad that I was falling asleep. _Goodnight, DImitri._


End file.
